ROSEAU, April 2026 — After a tightly contested battle of knowledge and critical thinking, the Rotary Club of Dominica has officially crowned the winners of its 11th annual National Secondary Schools Literacy Quiz Competition, held March 27 at the Prevost Cinemall Ballroom.
Claiming the first-place title was the team from St. Mary’s Academy, made up of students Arion Bozel and Thierry Lauture. The pair secured victory by a narrow margin over runners-up from Dominica Grammar School, represented by Qitara Beaupierre and Jeanmik LaPinard. Convent High School’s team of Jaël Lloyd and Mazhira Marie rounded out the top three positions.
Six schools advanced to the final round of the competition, selected from a pool of eight semi-finalists that competed across two qualifying rounds held on consecutive Fridays earlier in March. The other finalist teams included North East Comprehensive School’s Nai Auguiste and Nyssi Nelson, Castle Bruce Secondary School’s Micah Tyson and Mathew J. Alexander, and Isaiah Thomas Secondary School’s Ken-G Delsol and Azariah Johnson.
Prizes were awarded to all finalists to recognize their hard work and achievement. First and second-place teams took home laptop computers alongside smaller accessory prizes, while third-place winners received tablets. All competing students also received branded participation tokens and personalized certificates of achievement for reaching the final stage of the national contest.
The annual literacy quiz is just one of dozens of youth-focused education initiatives the Rotary Club of Dominica has organized over decades of community service. The organization has a long track record of supporting local needs across the island: it runs a popular annual Grotto lunch program during the Creole cultural season, and organizes annual holiday visits to bring gifts and cheer to residents of the Dominica Infirmary every Christmas morning. None of these service projects would be possible without the support of local residents who attend the club’s signature annual Carnival fundraiser, Souse ‘n Punch, organizers noted.
The club also extended public gratitude to its network of corporate sponsors that made the 2026 literacy quiz possible. Gold sponsorships were provided by the National Co-operative Credit Union and the Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI), while Central Co-operative Credit Union joined as a silver sponsor. Bronze sponsorship came from the National Bank of Dominica and Dominica Broadcasting Corporation (DBS Radio), which also broadcast the entire final competition live for audiences across the island.
As part of the global Rotary International network, the Rotary Club of Dominica upholds the organization’s core mission of taking local action to strengthen communities worldwide. Rotarians across the globe donate their time, energy and passion to build sustainable, meaningful projects that advance peace, expand access to healthcare, deliver clean drinking water to underserved areas, support maternal and child health, boost educational access, grow local economies, and protect the natural environment.